Analyzing the Text
Exercise
Text Excerpt:
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
Analysis Questions:
1. What is the main idea of the text?
2. How is the text structured?
3. Identify one literary device used and explain its effect.
4. How does the author support their argument?
Example Answers:
Main Idea:
The main idea is that society assumes that wealthy single men are in search of wives, and this assumption is so ingrained that such men are considered a match for any eligible daughters in the neighborhood.
Structure:
The text is structured as a general statement or observation about society's expectations, followed by a more specific commentary on how these expectations influence the behavior of families with unmarried daughters.
Literary Device:
The author uses irony in the phrase "a truth universally acknowledged." The irony lies in the exaggerated claim that everyone agrees on this "truth," which reflects the societal pressure and the ridiculousness of the assumption.
Argument Support:
The author supports her argument by describing how the wealthy man's arrival in a neighborhood automatically places him in the role of a prospective husband, despite his personal feelings or intentions.